5 of the most expensive fruits in the world

From grapes to pineapples, we look at fruits that can cost more that a month's worth of salary

Cheow Sue Ann

You hear of people blowing big bucks on shoes, bags, clothes or even a Michelin-starred meal. But last Saturday, an unconventional "luxury" item was sold in Japan.

A bunch of grapes. And not just any grapes - these cost US$5,400 (S$6,728).

1. S$6,728 Roman Ruby grapes

The 30 Roman Ruby grapes were auctioned off to a wedding hall operator on the first day of the buying season in Ishikawa prefecture in central Japan. The bunch of grapes weighed some 800g, and can be as big as 3cm in diameter. The red-skinned grapes that cost around $180 each is to be served at the wedding hall in Kanazawa, central Ishikawa.

If you think these grapes are ridiculously expensive, here's some more fruits that commanded jaw-dropping prices.

2. S$3,662 Egg of the Sun Mangoes

In April this year, a pair of mangoes sold for a record 300,000 yen (S$3,662). The two mangoes were sold under the Taiyo no Tamago label, which translates as "Egg of the Sun". The label is famous for its rigorous criteria, including a minimum weight and a high sugar content.

3. S$7,688 Densuke Black Watermelon

The Japanese are also famous for their exquisitely formed melons, with equally exquisite price tags.

The Densuke Black watermelon is, as its name suggests, a black melon with no stripes. The fruit which can weigh up to 11kg is known to be the priciest watermelon in the world, with one having been sold at a record price of 630,000 yen in June 2008.

4. S$19,526 Yubari Melon

The Yubari Melons are so famous for being expensive that they are often regarded as a status symbol. The fruits are grown in Yubari, Hokkaido, and are often given in pairs as a gift. In 2013, a 3.7kg pair of these melons sold for 1.6 million yen.

5. S$21,389 Pineapple from Cornwall, England

It is not just Japan that produces ultra-expensive fruit.

The most expensive pineapple in the world is grown in the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, England. The seemingly ordinary fruit is set apart by the method by which it is grown. To recreate the tropical climate usually required for pineapples, growers at this plantation make use of a technique dating back to the Victorian ages. The horticulturalists grew the crops in greenhouses heated with horse manure and straw, and cultivated the fruit over two years.

The pineapple is valued at around £10,000 (S$21,389).

A great new way to splash out and spend the fruits of your labour - on fruit.

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